Fourteen Sandites named to Tulsa Area All-VYPE Teams

Fourteen Sand Springs athletes received accolades in the latest edition of the VYPE Tulsa magazine.

Daton Fix was third in the voting for Tulsa-Area Boys Athlete of the Year, receiving 5.8% of the vote in a poll with fourteen candidates. Fix concluded his high school wrestling career as a four-time undefeated State Champion with a 168-0 record. He will compete for a Junior World Championship this summer in Finland before wrestling this winter for Oklahoma State University. 

Sydney Pennington was fourth in the voting for Tulsa-Area Girls Athlete of the Year, receiving more than 4,700 votes for 5.6% of the vote in a poll with thirteen candidates. Pennington started every game this basketball season and was the leading scorer with 10.77 points per game to help her team to the State Semifinals. She shot 52.38% on field goals and averaged more than five rebounds, two steals, and two assists per game. She was also given an honorable mention on the All-Tulsa Basketball team. 

Pennington will continue her athletic career at Oklahoma State University on the softball team. In the fall fast pitch season she batted .543 with 57 hits, 45 runs, 38 RBI, and 10 home runs. She went undefeated on the mound for a 6-0 record with a 1.41 ERA, 1.135 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts. She gave up only 23 hits and 8 earned runs to aid her team to the State Semifinals.

Cheyenne Walden was also nominated for Girls Athlete of the Year and was named to the All-Tulsa Track Team. Walden concluded her high school career as a nine-time State Champion. She won 28 Cross Country meets with a 5K personal-record of 17:32 and four State titles. In Track she won 29 3200-meter runs, including three State titles and went undefeated for the past three seasons. Her 3200 PR is 10:45.43. She won twelve 1600-meter runs including two State titles, with a PR of 4:57.07. She will run at Oklahoma State University. 

Ashton Persons was named to the All-Tulsa Area Girls Golf Team. She won the Sand Springs Invitational this year and placed 19th at the OSSAA 6A State Tournament.

Carson Griggs was named to the All-Tulsa Area Boys Golf Team. A junior three-time State Qualifier, Griggs won three tournaments this season, including a Frontier Valley Conference title, and was the State Runner-Up by a two-stroke deficit.

Josh Cordell (P), Mack Thompson (SS), Hunter Greathouse (3B), Treyce Tolbert (OF), and Josh Taber (OF) were named to the All-Tulsa Area Baseball Team. 

Cordell pitched a 6-3 record this season with a 3.24 ERA, 1.309 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts. Thompson batted .352 with 43 hits, 34 runs, and 16 RBI. Greathouse batted .350 with 41 hits, 25 runs, 1 home run, and 31 RBI. He pitched a 4-6 record with a 4.37 ERA, 1.850 WHIP, and 32 strikeouts. Tobert batted .381 with 45 hits, 30 runs, 1 home run, 29 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. Taber batted .310 with 39 hits, 26 runs, 15 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. 

Cordell, Tolbert, and Thompson will play for Rose State College, while Greathouse will play for Cowley County Community College.

Jensen Arnold (P) made the All-Tulsa Area Slow-Pitch Softball Team. She batted .418 in the Spring Slow-Pitch season and pitched every game in the team's 11-13 season. 

Colt Savage made the All-Vype Basketball Second Team. Savage was the leading scorer on the team and the second-highest scorer in the entire Frontier Valley Conference with 22.48 points per game. 

Aden Baughman and Colton Washington were both named to the All-Tulsa Track Team. Baughman took first place in seven out of eight track meets in the 800 meter run, claiming his first State Championship with a personal-record 1:53.16. Washington won a Regional Championship in the Long Jump, placed seventh at the State Tournament, and set a PR of 22'01.00".

Longtime Sandite Coach/Athletic Director Cecil Hankins to be inducted into OBCA Hall of Fame

Cecil Hankins, 1953 Sand Springs High School yearbook.

Former Sand Springs Coach and Athletic Director Cecil Hankins will be inducted into the Oklahoma Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA) Hall of Fame Saturday, June 3rd. Hankins was previously inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Oklahoma State University Hall of Honor in 1996.

Hankins coached in Sand Springs for sixteen years, including basketball, football, track and field, baseball, and golf. He retired as Athletic Director in 1988 and passed away in 2002 at the age of 80. 

A Division I collegiate athlete, Hankins played for Oklahoma A&M University (now Oklahoma State University) in both football and basketball, under Jim Lookabaugh and Henry Iba respectively.

In football he played halfback and defensive back on the undefeated 1945 team that was recently declared the National Champions by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). The AFCA has been working to declare national champions for the period between 1922 and 1949 before they began a rankings system.

1945 Oklahoma A&M National Champion team. Hankins can be seen in the second row from the top, four positions to the right of Head Coach Jim Lookabaugh. 

In the 1945 Sugar Bowl, Hankins received the go-ahead touchdown pass from Bob Fennimore and the Aggies went on to prevail 33-13 over St. Mary's. 

Hankins didn't live long enough to see his football team recognized as National Champions, but the 1945 Basketball team also won a National Title and he contributed 13 points per game that season. The 1945 season was the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance and first National Championship as the Aggies defeated New York 49-45 in front of 18,000 fans at Madison Square Garden to finish the season with a 27-4 record. Hankins scored 15 points in the Championship game.

After his collegiate career, Hankins played 25 games with the Boston Celtics and averaged 2.8 points per game for 70 career points. 

At Sand Springs he coached football from 1952-1954 and amassed a 15-10-4 record with a 1952 District Championship and playoff appearance. He coached future three-time MLB World Series Champion Jerry Adair as quarterback, who went on to play basketball at OSU under Iba. He coached basketball from 1948 through 1957. Sandite Pride is missing the 1948-1949 season record, but his final eight years Hankins went 144-59-1 and led his team to four-straight Verdigris Valley Conference Championships.

Hankins will be inducted along with Jack Begley, Ron Murphey, Robert Sprague, and Bailey Van Zant. Begley coached at Texhoma High, Clinton High, and Panhandle State. He won two State Championships at Clinton. Murphey coached at Felt and Texhoma and won one State Championship at Texhoma. Sprague coached at Daniel Webster, Nathan Hale, and Tulsa Memorial. Van Zant coached at Pond Creek and Pryor, started the basketball program at Seminole Junior College, then coached fourteen years in Texas.

CPHS Baseball: Cordell, Tolbert, Thompson sign LOIs to play at Rose State College

Left to right: Josh Cordell, Treyce Tolbert, and Mack Thompson all signed letters of intent to play baseball for Rose State College. (Courtesy Photo).

Three members of the Charles Page High School Class of 2017 signed letters of intent to play baseball at Rose State College Monday afternoon.

Josh Cordell, Treyce Tolbert, and Mack Thompson were regular starters on the CPHS varsity team that went 19-20 this season and came in Runner-Up at the Regional Tournament.

Rose State is a public two-year junior college located in Midwest City, Oklahoma. The Raiders went 20-34 overall this season with a 3-18 conference record under Head Coach Coty Cooper. They compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division One.

Cordell played in 21 games this season, primarily as a pitcher. He amassed a 6-3 record, the most wins of any pitcher on the team, with a 3.24 Earned Run Average. His ERA was second on the team, and his WHIP (Walks+Hits per Innings Pitched) was the team-best at 1.309. He was the most-used pitcher on the team and finished second in total strikeouts with 48.

Mack Thompson played in all 39 games and was the number three batter overall, and number two batter among players with at least twenty at-bats. He finished with a .352 batting average, .492 slugging average, and .438 on-base percentage. He was second on the team in slugging average and total hits (43). He had a team-high 18 doubles and was one of only five players to triple. He scored a team-high 34 runs and was fifth in RBI with 16. He also led the team with 18 stolen bases and was never once caught stealing. He tied for first in double-plays with 9. He pitched 7 innings this season with an 0-1 record, 4.00 ERA, 2.143 WHIP, 6 strikeouts, and recorded two saves.

Treyce Tolbert played in all 39 games and was the team-leader in batting average (.381), slugging average (.534), and total hits (45). He was third in on-base percentage (.475), recorded 15 doubles, a team-high 2 triples, and was one of only three players to hit a home run. He was second on the team in total runs (30) and RBI (29). He was third in stolen bases with 14 steals and an .875 percentage. 

CPHS Baseball: Final Season Statistics

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team recently concluded a 19-20 season with an impressive showing at the Regional Tournament, battling their way through the losers' bracket and nearly upsetting the host team from Jenks, winning three of five games in the post season. 

Five members of the talented Sandite lineup have signed letters of intent to continue their careers at the collegiate level.

Below are the final season statistics for all members of the varsity squad.

Games played

39 Braden Askew
39 Hunter Greathouse
39 Mack Thompson
39 Treyce Tolbert
38 Ty Steelman
38 Josh Taber
38 Cal Watkins
36 Cale Savage
35 Kyler Copeland
24 Braden Millican
21 Josh Cordell
21 Garrett McCallie
20 Kameron Adcock
20 Braden Cook
20 Riley Rutledge
18 Brock Youngblood
11 Lucas Adcock
10 Ben Banker
9 Ian Baker
8 Tyler Ash
3 Seth Villines
2 Malachi Burks
1 Conner Dennis

Batting Average

.381 Treyce Tolbert (118 at-bats)
.368 Braden Millican (19 at-bats)
.352 Mack Thompson (122 at-bats)
.350 Hunter Greathouse (117 at-bats)
.346 Cale Savage (81 at-bats)
.333 Tyler Ash (3 at-bats)
.316 Kameron Adcock (38 at-bats)
.310 Josh Taber (126 at-bats)
.266 Ty Steelman (64 at-bats)
.239 Braden Askew (92 at-bats)
.222 Riley Rutledge (27 at-bats)
.210 Cal Watkins (100 at-bats)
.192 Braden Cook (26 at-bats)
.167 Ian Baker (6 at-bats)
.160 Kyler Copeland (50 at-bats)
.143 Brock Youngblood (7 at-bats)
.000 Ben Banker (5 at-bats)
.000 Malachi Burks (3 at-bats)
.000 Josh Cordell (2 at-bats)

Slugging Average

.534 Treyce Tolbert (118 at-bats)
.492 Mack Thompson (122 at-bats)
.444 Hunter Greathouse (117 at-bats)
.432 Cale Savage (81 at-bats)
.368 Kameron Adcock (38 at-bats)
.368 Braden Millican (19 at-bats)
.333 Tyler Ash (3 at-bats)
.315 Braden Askew (92 at-bats)
.310 Josh Taber (126 at-bats)
.296 Riley Rutledge (27 at-bats)
.281 Ty Steelman (64 at-bats)
.250 Cal Watkins (100 at-bats)
.240 Kyler Copeland (50 at-bats)
.192 Braden Cook (26 at-bats)
.167 Ian Baker (6 at-bats)
.143 Brock Youngblood (7 at-bats)
.000 Ben Banker (5 at-bats)
.000 Malachi Burks (3 at-bats)
.000 Josh Cordell (2 at-bats)

On-Base Percentage

.520 Braden Millican (25 P.A.)
.500 Ian Baker (10 P.A.)
.475 Treyce Tolbert (141 P.A.)
.444 Ben Banker (9 P.A.)
.443 Cale Savage (106 P.A.)
.438 Mack Thompson (144 P.A.)
.400 Braden Cook (35 P.A.)
.380 Hunter Greathouse (129 P.A.)
.366 Josh Taber (142 P.A.)
.351 Ty Steelman (77 P.A.)
.348 Kameron Adcock (46 P.A.)
.344 Riley Rutledge (32 P.A.)
.343 Braden Askew (108 P.A.)
.333 Tyler Ash (3 P.A.)
.264 Cal Watkins (121 P.A.)
.258 Kyler Copeland (66 P.A.)
.250 Malachi Burks (4 P.A.)
.222 Brock Youngblood (9 P.A.)
.000 Josh Cordell (2 P.A.)

Hits

45 Treyce Tolbert
43 Mack Thompson
41 Hunter Greathouse
39 Josh Taber
28 Cale Savage
22 Braden Askew
21 Cal Watkins
17 Ty Steelman
12 Kameron Adcock
8 Kyler Copeland
7 Braden Millican
6 Riley Rutledge
5 Braden Cook
1 Tyler Ash
1 Ian Baker
1 Brock Youngblood

Doubles

18 Mack Thompson
15 Treyce Tolbert
8 Hunter Greathouse
7 Braden Askew
4 Kyler Copeland
4 Cale Savage
4 Cal Watkins
2 Riley Rutledge
2 Ty Steelman
1 Josh Taber

Triples

2 Treyce Tolbert
1 Kameron Adcock
1 Hunter Greathouse
1 Josh Taber
1 Mack Thompson

Home Runs

1 Hunter Greathouse
1 Cale Savage
1 Treyce Tolbert

Runs

34 Mack Thompson
30 Treyce Tolbert
26 Josh Taber
25 Hunter Greathouse
15 Braden Askew
15 Garrett McCallie
14 Cal Watkins
13 Cale Savage
13 Ty Steelman
7 Braden Millican
6 Riley Rutledge
3 Kameron Adcock
3 Tyler Ash
3 Ben Banker
3 Braden Cook
2 Lucas Adcock
1 Kyler Copeland

Runs Batted In

31 Hunter Greathouse
29 Treyce Tolbert
20 Cale Savage
18 Cal Watkins
16 Mack Thompson
15 Josh Taber
14 Braden Askew
9 Kyler Copeland
8 Ty Steelman
6 Kameron Adcock
6 Braden Millican
6 Riley Rutledge
1 Tyler Ash
1 Ian Baker
1 Braden Cook
1 Brock Youngblood

Base on Balls

20 Treyce Tolbert
16 Cale Savage
16 Mack Thompson
11 Cal Watkins
9 Braden Askew
9 Josh Taber
8 Kyler Copeland
7 Hunter Greathouse
6 Braden Cook
6 Ty Steelman
5 Braden Millican
4 Kameron Adcock
4 Ian Baker
3 Ben Banker
3 Riley Rutledge

Hit By Pitch

6 Braden Askew
4 Ty Steelman
4 Josh Taber
4 Mack Thompson
3 Braden Cook
3 Cale Savage
2 Riley Rutledge
2 Treyce Tolbert
1 Ben Banker
1 Malachi Burks
1 Kyler Copeland
1 Hunter Greathouse
1 Braden Millican
1 Brock Youngblood

Sacrifices

10 Cal Watkins
7 Kyler Copeland
6 Cale Savage
4 Kameron Adcock
4 Hunter Greathouse
3 Ty Steelman
3 Josh Taber
2 Mack Thompson
1 Braden Askew
1 Treyce Tolbert
1 Brock Youngblood

Stolen Bases

18 Mack Thompson (1.00)
16 Josh Taber (.888)
14 Treyce Tolbert (.875)
12 Ty Steelman (1.00)
6 Cale Savage (.857)
4 Braden Millican (1.00)
4 Cal Watkins (1.00)
4 Braden Askew (.500)
3 Garrett McCallie (1.00)
3 Riley Rutledge (.750)
2 Kyler Copeland (1.00)
2 Hunter Greathouse (.400)
1 Kameron Adcock (1.00)
1 Lucas Adcock (1.00)
1 Tyler Ash (1.00)

Double Plays

9 Mack Thompson
9 Cal Watkins
6 Cale Savage
5 Hunter Greathouse
3 Josh Taber
1 Kyler Copeland
1 Ty Steelman

Pitching Record

2-0 Braden Millican
1-0 Ben Banker
6-3 Josh Cordell
3-2 Braden Askew
1-1 Cale Savage
4-6 Hunter Greathouse
2-6 Brock Youngblood
0-1 Ty Steelman
0-1 Mack Thompson

Innings Pitched

49.2 Josh Cordell
46 Braden Askew
40 Hunter Greathouse
40 Brock Youngblood
21 Braden Millican
18.2 Riley Rutledge
10.2 Cale Savage
8 Ty Steelman
7 Mack Thompson
3 Ben Banker
0.2 Conner Dennis

Earned Run Average

1.970 Braden Millican
3.24 Josh Cordell
3.28 Cale Savage
4.00 Mack Thompson
4.13 Riley Rutledge
4.38 Hunter Greathouse
4.67 Ben Banker
5.25 Ty Steelman
5.44 Braden Askew
5.78 Brock Youngblood
31.82 Conner Dennis

Walks+Hits/Innings Pitched

1.309 Josh Cordell
1.407 Cale Savage
1.652 Braden Millican
1.792 Braden Askew
1.825 Brock Youngblood
1.850 Hunter Greathouse
1.929 Riley Rutledge
2.000 Ben Banker
2.143 Mack Thompson
2.500 Ty Steelman
6.061 Conner Dennis

Strikeouts

51 Hunter Greathouse
48 Josh Cordell
34 Braden Askew
27 Brock Youngblood
21 Riley Rutledge
9 Braden Millican
8 Cale Savage
7 Ty Steelman
6 Mack Thompson
2 Ben Banker

Saves

2 Mack Thompson
2 Brock Youngblood
1 Braden Millican

CPHS Baseball: Sandites go 3-2 in playoffs, split wins with Jenks to end season

CPHS senior pitcher Hunter Greathouse pitched 10 strikeouts in a 5-0 playoff shutout of Jenks. 

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (19-20) lost the first game of their Regional Tournament 7-5 to the host team from Jenks (22-13), but battled their way back through the consolation bracket to avenge themselves with a 5-0 shutout behind the pitching of Cowley County Community College-signed senior Hunter Greathouse (4-6). In the third and final game of the series, they were unable to repeat and fell 11-4 to end the season.

SEE RELATED: CPHS Baseball: Josh Cordell pitches 7 strikeouts in 3-0 playoff victory
SEE RELATED: CPHS Baseball: Sandites win Highway 97 rivalry series with 12-7 playoff victory over Sapulpa

CPHS 5 Jenks 0

(Hits: CPHS 8, Jenks 5. Errors: Jenks 2, CPHS 0. LOB: CPHS 6, Jenks 5.)

Jenks came out swinging with a double, but the runner was put out on a double-play as Regan LaPlant bunted to Greathouse, who found Cal Watkins at second. Greathouse struck out the next batter to bring his team in to bat.

Josh Taber got things off to a good start with a single, then took second on a sacrifice by Mack Thompson, and third and home on back-to-back errors.

The Sandites had a big inning in the bottom of the third with a leadoff double by Kyler Copeland, joined on base by Taber who was hit by pitch. Tyler Ash ran courtesy for Copeland and scored on a single from Treyce Tolbert, who scored alongside Taber on a double form Greathouse. 

Greathouse struck out the side in the top of the fourth and the Sandites added one more run in the bottom of the sixth as Garrett McCallie scored on another double from Copeland. 

Greathouse pitched his third 10-strikeout game of the year, and gave up five hits and two walks in the shutout performance. 

Jenks 11 CPHS 4

(Hits: Jenks 12, CPHS 8. Errors: CPHS 2, Jenks 1. LOB: Jenks 8, CPHS 7.)

Following their Friday night victory, the Sandites came out Saturday afternoon in good spirits, but were unable to replicate the prior day's success. 

Brock Youngblood (2-6) got the start and the loss on the mound, giving up a two-run homer to Brett Standlee early in the first inning. Princeton-commit Sy Snedeker hit a single, Tanner Lawrence walked, then courtesy runner Darwin Ornelas scored on a single from Ian Corwin. 

Braden Millican (2-0) took over pitching and gave up a single to Geo Blackshaw that scored courtesy runner Torre Alavanja. Corwin stole home for the 5-0 advantage before the Sandites came in to bat. Tolbert and Greathouse both singled, but were left stranded.

The Trojans loaded the bases in the second inning with two singles and a walk. LaPlant scored on a passed ball, but the Sandites salvaged the rest of the inning with a double play as Snedeker flied out to Taber who made a long pass to Copeland at the plate.

Jenks added their next run in the fifth with a single from Brock Nowlin to bring in Alavanja. The Sandites battled back in the bottom of the inning with a double from Tolbert to score McCallie, a single from Greathouse to score Tolbert, and a home run from Cale Savage to cut the deficit to 7-4. 

Those would be their only runs of the game.

The home team added a run in the sixth, then took advantage of two walks and an error in the seventh to make it 11-4. Trojan pitcher Noah Winkle struck out two in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory.

Four Sandite pitchers saw action in the battle. Youngblood gave up five earned runs, four hits, and one walk. Millican gave up one unearned run, three hits, and one walk in an inning on the mound. Riley Rutledge (0-0) spent the majority of the game on the mound, giving up three earned runs, five hits, and five walks with three strikeouts. Ty Steelman (0-1) finished out the game. 

The Sandites finished the season 19-20 overall, 4-10 in their district, and 3-2 in the playoffs. 

CPHS Baseball: Sandites win Highway 97 rivalry series with 12-7 playoff victory over Sapulpa

CPHS senior Josh Taber was 3-of-4 at the plate against Sapulpa with a triple, four RBI, and two runs.

The Charles Page High School varsity baseball team (18-19) got an extra sweet win Friday afternoon in Jenks, not only advancing another round in the Regional Tournament, but doing so over their Highway 97 rivals from Sapulpa (14-22) to break the 1-1 series tie the two teams held this season.

CPHS 12 Sapulpa 7

(Hits: CPHS 11, SHS 8. Errors: SHS 3, CPHS 1. LOB: CPHS 9, SHS 6.)

The Sandites took advantage of a few Chieftain mistakes for an early 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Ty Steelman walked, Cal Watkins reached on an error, and Kyler Copeland sacrificed to advance both runners. Josh Taber singled to score Steelman, then Watkins scored on the throw. Mack Thompson was next to walk, and scored with Taber on a double from Treyce Tolbert.

Sapulpa landed a pair of singles in the bottom of the second. Ethan Williams was first on base and quick on his feet, stealing second, taking third on a fly out, and scoring on a grounder by Cody Rossman.

In the top of the fourth Thompson added another run for the Sandites, hitting a single, stealing second, taking third on an error, and scoring on a sacrifice by Cowley County Community College-signed senior Hunter Greathouse. Williams came in once again for the Chieftains, scoring in the bottom of the inning on yet another Rossman RBI.

Sand Springs had yet another explosive inning in the fifth. Riley Rutledge walked and scored on a single from Tyler Ash. Ash scored on a triple from Taber, who scored on a double from Thompson to make it 8-2.

The Chieftains made up a little ground after a pair of walks and a failed fielder's choice loaded the bases with a single out. Hayden Bullinger scored on an error at third base and Alan Shibley scored on a sacrifice fly by Williams.

Sapulpa returned the favor in the next inning, giving up a single to Rutledge and hitting both Steelman and Cale Savage to load the bases. Savage walked in, Rutledge scored on a single sacrifice from Copeland, and Steelman scored on a sacrifice from Taber. Savage added an RBI sacrifice in the top of the seventh to score Tolbert.

Deep in the hole, Sapulpa tried in vain to dig themselves out in the seventh. Wyatt Sellers walked, Bullinger singled, and Gage Williams was hit by pitch to load the bases with a single out. Sellers and Bullinger scored on a double from Coleson Coffey, then Williams scored on the throw to cut it to 12-7, but those would be the last runs they would find. 

Braden Askew (3-2) got his third-straight win on the mound, pitching all seven innings. He gave up six earned runs, eight hits, and four walks against two strikeouts. 

SEE RELATED: CPHS Baseball: Josh Cordell pitches 7 strikeouts in 3-0 playoff victory